Rice Moves
by cr8vgrl
Summary: The story of how Joe met Christina. Side story to Still Waiting but can be read on its own. Written for RiceMover, formerly CrazyForJoeJonas.
1. Youtube Girl

**A/N: Hey everyone! This story is a side story to my other fic, Still Waiting. It is written for and dedicated to CrazyForJoeJonas, who is so in love with Joe that everyone (including me) fears for her mental health. Love you, Christina! I did change her name a bit, though.  
**

**By the way, I own nothing having to do with the Jonas Brothers, or Youtube. Just the idea! Joe is probably out of character (OOC) because I've never personally met him, so I don't know what he'd act like! But, I'm going to try really hard to be witty and smart! Enjoy!!**

Joe Grey sighed as he rubbed his eyes. Concerts were _way_ better than Red Bull, and they were just as debilitating. Concerts pumped you up, just like Red Bull, and when the euphoria of all the screaming girls, calling your name and practically selling their souls to be your wife or your girlfriend wore off, it left you just as tired as when Red Bull wore off and you crashed. He leaned his head back on one of the tour bus couches and closed his eyes, trying to decide what to do that required very little energy. Youtube. The thought made Joe pop up from the couch, reaching for his laptop as gravity inevitably pulled him back down. He smiled excitedly, feeling some of his hyperness rushing back. He would check and see how many "I LOVE YOU, JOE"s he'd gotten since his last video post.

The lead singer of the Connect 3 band had every intention of going straight to the Connect 3 Official Youtube site, but when Youtube's main screen came up, advertising all the "videos being watched right now," he couldn't help but take a look. His curiosity made him look through all the videos being watched, and one in particular caught his eye. The title proclaimed, "Slip Jig with Rice Moves." Grinning as he recognized the Connect 3 joke, Joe clicked on the link and was almost instantly directed to another screen.

As the video began to play, Joe began to unconsciously lean forward. The girl in the video was saying something, grinning madly, but Joe never heard it. He was drawn to her pretty face and blonde hair that looked silky even over a computer screen. She twirled once and the music started. She leapt into action, kicking her feet up as she kept perfect time with the Irish music. He watched in fascination as she skipped and twirled, all the while keeping her hands at her sides, never bringing them up from their position at her waist.

She finished one last twirl and pointed her foot out in front of her, bowing. "That's a wrap!" she called out with a smile, and the screen went black for a moment before different links began to scroll by, advertising related videos. Quickly, Joe clicked on some of her other videos and watched those, a goofy grin spreading across his face. When he had exhausted all of her videos, he clicked on the link to her page and read her biography.

Joe smiled even wider when he saw that one of her favorite bands was Connect 3. Most of her favorite videos were of him and his brothers. Down at the bottom of the page, she had written, _**Feel free to IM me at RiceMover. Be warned that if you're not interesting enough, I won't respond.**_ Joe smiled as he logged on to his email. Oh, she'd respond to him, he had no doubt. He added her as a contact and then typed his first line.

_**DJDanger: Hey , it's Joe Grey from Connect 3. I watched you vids and they were amazing.**_

He hit the 'send' button, leaning back in his chair. Since the little green bubble next to her IM screen name told him that she was online, he expected an immediate response. A minute went by. "Perhaps she didn't see it," Joe said out loud, rationalizing. Two more minutes crept by, and still no answer came from . His eyes narrowed. Had she simply logged out, or was she making him beg?

_**DJDanger: I know you're there. I won't beg and plead.**_

Five minutes passed, and still nothing. Joe checked again to make sure that his IMs had gone through, and to his surprise, they had. She was ignoring him. He drew in a deep breath. All right, he could do this. She was different, and that was why he was interested, so why not take a gamble?

_**DJDanger: Alright. You win. I'm begging and pleading.**_

He hadn't really expected a response, but one flew up onto his screen almost immediately.

_**RiceMover: Are you on your knees yet?**_

Even though the response was not exactly the one he had been expecting, a response, however acidic it might be, was much better than no response at all. He hastily responded.

_**DJDanger: No, but if that's what it'll take, I'll see what I can do.**_

_**RiceMover: Fair enough. Don't bother. Tell me something about yourself. How do I know that you're really Joe Grey?**_

That question startled him. Joe sat back for a moment, leaning against the back of his chair. How _would_ he prove that he was really Joe Grey? Another thought flashed through his mind and he winced. Had it really come to that already? He sighed and steeled himself as he responded. This girl was obviously different, and it would be worth it to get to know her.

_**DJDanger: I'll make you a deal. My bros and I are going on a talk show tonight. Give a random sentence to say, and if I'm really Joe Grey, I'll say it.**_

He gritted his teeth, hoping she wouldn't respond. She did.

_**RiceMover: Deal. Slip 'I've got a girlfriend in Ireland' in there somewhere, and we'll talk.**_

Joe was about to write back in protest, to say that such a sentence was way too hard, when the worst message of all came up. _ RiceMover has signed out of AIM._ He glared at the screen and squared his shoulders. She was challenging him, testing him to see if he was really worth her time, and he would play her game. For now.

* * *

Joe had the host, the audience, and his brothers in fits of laughter four hours later on the talk show, but he didn't feel one shred of happiness. He only had four minutes left of the hour, and he still hadn't managed to find a place to slip in RiceMover's sentence. He would be forever grateful to the host, as he asked at that moment, "Is there anything else you guys want to say?"

Joe would later have to apologize for cutting Nick off, but at that moment, he found his chance. "Not really," he said casually. "But I do have a funny story to tell." Without waiting for anyone to express interest in hearing his story, Joe launched into his prepared speech. "I went online today and logged onto Youtube," he said, and paused while the crowd applauded, "and I was watching this video of this awesome Irish dancer, and someone posted this hate comment on there. I was so mad that I responded, 'Dude, I've got a girlfriend in Ireland.'"

The host seemed unsure of what to say, and so did the crowd. Nobody knew whether it was supposed to be a joke or not, and if it was indeed a joke, then it was uncharacteristically unfunny. "Never mind," Joe replied. He reached out and shook the host's hand as he saw the clock winding down to only a minute left for the show to air. "Thanks for having us," he said sincerely, "even with all our weird comments."

"Sure," the host responded, still in somewhat of a daze.

* * *

When Joe got back to the tour bus, he flipped open his laptop and signed into his email. Sure enough, she was there, waiting for him.

_**DJDanger: Did you see the show?**_

_**RiceMover: Yeah, I did. I can't believe it's really you.**_

Joe wasn't sure if he was supposed to take that as disbelief, or just happiness, so he waited.

_**RiceMover: I mean, you actually went on national TV and did that for me.**_

Joe winced.

_**DJDanger: Don't remind me. It was worth it, but it was totally stupid. **_

_**RiceMover: Because you actually did it, or because you did it for some random girl you don't even know?**_

_**DJDanger: Definitely because I actually did it. I'm Joe Grey! I mean, that was the first time I've made a "joke" and no one laughed. **_

_**RiceMover: Well, there's a first time for everything.**_

_**DJDanger: Ooh! You have a bit of wit in you. You're coming out of the shadows!**_

_**RiceMover: Yeah. Of your ego.**_

Ouch. Joe winced as he read the last line she had written. She was clearly saying that she wasn't the kind of girl that could be won over with all the glitz and glamour that knowing him had to offer, and his flirting didn't impress her in the least. He sat there for a moment, thinking of how he should respond.

_**DJDanger: Now that you know I'm not just some stalker, what would it take for you to realize that I'm serious about getting to know you?**_

The reply took a long time to come back, and Joe guessed that over in Ireland, this girl was really thinking hard about how she was going to test him next. Her reply showed up, and Joe leaned forward to read it.

_**RiceMover: My name's Christina O' Foran. I live in Dublin.**_

_ RiceMover has signed out._ Joe gritted his teeth, and then forced himself to calm down. She was making him work for her, and in a way, he was grateful. It was making him realize already how much he wanted to meet her. But how? Suddenly, her response made sense. He dashed over to the list of tour dates and checked to see when they were going to Dublin. Two weeks. He sighed, suddenly tired. He had two weeks to find one particular girl, and Dublin was a big place.

* * *

The internet was an amazing, wonderful invention. You could find almost anything, and anyone, on the internet, including Christina O' Foran. Joe copied down the address of her dance studio and eagerly awaited the trip to Dublin.

* * *

"And 5,6,7,8," called the dance teacher. The private lesson had almost concluded, and Christina was simply trying to perfect her steps. The door to the studio creaked open and Joe slipped inside, unnoticed by Christina and her teacher. When the music, and Christina, wound down, the teacher nodded, smiling. "Good, Christina," she praised. "If you spent more time practicing, you'd dance like this at every lesson." Christina smiled and turned to pick up her dance bag and water bottle, only to notice Joe standing there, leaning casually against the wall.

"Rice moves," he complimented.

A grin spread across Christina's face. He was here! He had gone through all that trouble to show her that he was _really_ interested. She wasn't just some other girl to him. She was special.

Her smile grew wider as she replied, "Thanks."


	2. Working for Christina

**A/N: Because so many people have requested it, Rice Moves has become a full length story, so here you go! Hope you enjoy!**

"So," Christina began, absently swirling her straw around her cup in an effort to not look up at Joe. "You actually came."

Joe sat across from her, grinning. They had tucked themselves away in a small restaurant where Joe could be at ease, and he sat back, watching Christina carefully, his eyes twinkling. "Yes," he said. "Of course I came." He picked up a french fry and waved it at her. "You're different, and you interest me. You were worth coming to find."

Christina snorted. "You make me sound like an investment, or a science experiment, or both."

Joe smiled. "Sorry," he said, ducking his head to hide his laughter.

Christina shook her head. "No you're not, but I'm too tired to argue with you."

Joe cocked his head to the side. "Why?" he asked curiously. A smiled tugged on the corner of his mouth as he asked, "All that dancing wore you out?"

"No," Christina responded tartly. "Packing did."

The words confused Joe, and he frowned. "Packing? Packing what?"

Christina looked at him blandly. "My brain," she explained. "With information. You do realize how hard it is to fit stuff into such a tiny little space, don't you?"

Joe sat for a moment, blinking. "You're joking," he finally said, but there was no conviction in that statement. It was more of a question. Was she being serious, or was she just teasing him?

Christina smiled. "Yes," she said with a nod. "I am." She took a sip of her soda and sat back in her seat. "Actually, I'm doing more important packing. I've received a full dance scholarship at a university in Colorado."

Joe's face lit up with an excitement that he didn't understand. "That's great!" he enthused. "When are you leaving?"

"Eager to get rid of me so soon, are you?" Christina teased.

"No," Joe replied gamely. "We're spending our Christmas break in Colorado, and you're welcome to come spend it with us. Even Kintra's coming!" The excitement in his voice at the last sentence made Christina's heart sink.

"Kintra's your girlfriend?" she asked nonchalantly.

No," Joe replied, hurriedly explaining, "Kintra's a friend of mine. She's like a little sister to me. She was in a car accident and crushed her vocal cords, so my mom taught her sign language. She has leukemia too." He shook his head. "She's had a rough time this past year." He looked up and smiled, leaning forward conspiratorially. "If anyone's interested in Kintra, it's Nick." A light seemed to go on, and Joe leaned forward a little more, moving halfway across the table. "Why do you ask? Are you jealous?" The smirk on his face showed that he was challenging her.

Christina, not one to shrink away from a challenge, leaned forward over the table until she was only a few inches away from Joe's face. "No," she said evenly. "I'm just curious."

Joe moved a little closer towards Christina. "Why?" he whispered.

"Because I have a very curious and complex mind," she responded, not backing down.

His eyes twinkled. "Interesting," he said, and moved to close the gap between their lips.

Christina sat back. "Yes, I suppose it is," she replied. At Joe's pout, she grinned. "You're going to have to work a little harder than that," she informed him.

Joe exaggerated his pout. "But I came all the way to Ireland!"

"On your tour," Christina pointed out.

Joe frowned. "It was the thought that counted," he replied sulkily.

Christina smiled. "And it was very thoughtful to come and find me, but I will warn you that I'm not going to just fall at your feet, begging and pleading with you to let me be your girlfriend. You'll have to work for me."

Joe smiled, all thoughts of pouting gone once more. This girl would challenge him, stretch him. She would not just be someone to forget, she would be someone to remember. "Very well," he responded haughtily and resignedly. "I'll work for you, but mind you, I always get what I want." The mischief in his eyes showed that he was teasing.

Christina moved to slide out of the booth. "There's a first time for everything," she told him.

As she went to stand up, her shoe caught on the side of the booth and she tripped. Joe shot his arm out to catch her before she fell, and he pulled her up, holding her close. "What was that you said about not falling at my feet?" he asked, humor in his eyes. Not letting her finish, he smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry about it. There's a first time for everything."

Christina wondered whether she should slap him or smile at him, so she chose both and slapped his arm even as she smiled. She disentangled herself from his arms, trying not to remember the way she had felt when he had kissed her forehead. "Thank you for catching me," she responded, brushing off her clothes, "but I assure you that my fall had nothing to do with you."

Joe shook his head in mock sadness. "And here I thought that it was my stunning good looks, or maybe my charm, or perhaps my smile?" At this, he smiled brightly, and Christina had to work hard at keeping back a smile.

"Mm….nope," she responded, tilting her head up to look at Joe. "It wasn't any of those. Sorry."

They had walked outside the restaurant by now, and Joe took her arm. "In all seriousness," he told her earnestly, "I'd really like to see you again. Would you let me?"

"You really meant what you said about inviting me to stay with you guys for Christmas break?" Christina asked, unwilling to believe that such an offer was really being extended to her.

Joe nodded. "Yup," he said. "You and Kintra should get along just great, and I know that all the others will like you too."

"Then I guess I accept," Christina responded, smiling up at the excited young man next to her.

"Great!" Joe said, fishing around in his pocket. "In the meantime, though-" He pulled out a backstage pass and offered it to Christina.

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "Really?" she asked. "For me?"

Joe nodded. "See you tonight?"

* * *

**A/N: What did you think?**


	3. Concert Courage

Elena strummed her guitar, jerking her head awkwardly to try and push the wisps of brown hair out of her face. She sat on her bad, legs tucked under her, biting her lip as she tried to play the simple song to no avail. Who knew that simple chords could be so difficult? She tried again, glancing at the clock to see whether or not her hour of practice had come to a close. It had, so she gave the song one last effort. In the middle of the rendition, the bedroom door opened and Christina bounced in with a wide grin on her face.

"Hey," Elena greeted her, immediately silencing the whining of her guitar. "I didn't expect to see you for a couple of hours."

Christina shrugged. "I had some news I wanted to share, so I came over early. You mom told me that you were almost done practicing, but…" she trailed off, looking around at the windows in Elena's room. "The windows are still intact, so she must've been mistaken."

"Shut up," Elena said with a grin, chucking a pillow from her bed at Christina.

"Fine," Christina said nonchalantly. "Then I guess you don't want to know who I met today, and why I came over early." She tossed her head, flinging her lair over her shoulders. "Your loss," she added, knowing that that would push Elena over the edge.

"Never mind," her friend said, right on cue. "Tell me what happened. Your cheeks are all flushed."

Christina considered making Elena beg a little more, but her excitement overruled her torture, and she gave in. "I met Joe Grey," she said in a whisper.

"He came?!" Elena exclaimed, having heard all about the online conversation. "It was really him?"

Christina nodded and Elena let out a high-pitched scream. Christina leapt forward and clapped a hand over her friend's mouth, looking at her, alarmed. "Shhhh!" she admonished. "The whole city of Dublin doesn't need to know!" She gave her friend a shake. "Besides, if your guitar playing doesn't do it, your screaming will indeed shatter your windows."

This enlightening observation seemed to bring Elena back down to at least cloud eight, and she blushed. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'm just excited for you!" Her eyes widened as a thought came to her. "Do you think you could let me meet Nick?"

Christina smiled at her friend. "He already has someone he's interested in, Elena," she explained. "I wouldn't want you to break your heart even further."

Elena nodded sadly at the logical answer and jumped up, scrolling through her playlist on her iPod and selecting a song. Seconds later, My Heart Will Go On began to play through the speakers. Christina rolled her eyes and grinned at her friend. "Good," she replied dryly. "I'm glad to hear that you won't die."

Elena smiled. "So, I take it you're going to be hanging around until it's time to go and get ready for the concert, right?"

Christina nodded. "Is that a problem?" she asked with a smile.

"Nope," Elena responded, grabbing the remote off her bedside table. "But you have to watch American Idol with me." She flipped on the TV, ignoring Christina's groans and mutterings about certain TV shows rotting people's brains, and snuggled up, ready to watch another episode of the show she secretly enjoyed.

After a moment, a brilliant idea came to Christina's mind. Why hadn't she thought of it before? This was a foolproof way to get Elena away from the TV and occupied for the next couple of hours. Fishing through her pocket, she found the backstage pass that Joe had given to her and deftly slid it in front of Elena's face. When the girl's eyes focused on the words inscribed on the sheet, they grew as big as saucers. She looked from Christina to the pass, and back again so fast that Christina began to fear that she was going to give herself whiplash. "No," she breathed.

"Yes," Christina responded.

"No," she said again, staring intently at the pass.

Yes," Christina assured her.

Elena's head snapped up and she turned off the TV, jumping off the bed as she did so. "Why didn't you mention that earlier?" she cried. "We should've been getting ready for the concert hours ago!" She ran around the bed, scrambling over to her closet. "We have to find something for you to wear."

Christina shook her head, laughing at her friend's hectic state. "Elena, I brought clothes with me to change into."

"No, no, no," Elena said, waving a dismissing hand at Christina, her head stuck in her closet. "I mean real clothes. Cute clothes. My clothes," she told her. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a green sweater, and a matching headband and threw them at Christina, who caught them awkwardly.

"I'm wearing my own shoes," Christina said, motioning to the green Converses on her feet.

Elena narrowed her eyes. "Fine," she responded huffily. "But only because they actually match what you're going to be wearing." She looked up at Christina innocently. "Aren't you going to get changed?"

Christina rolled her eyes and headed for the bathroom. Tonight was going to be an interesting night.

Christina sang every word of every song during the concert, and screamed right along with everyone else. Elena almost fainted when Nick looked her way, but kept herself together better than some of the other girls there. Christina was almost shivering with excitement, even though all the bodies pressed around her were making the air hot and difficult to breath. Whenever Joe looked at her and winked, Christina had to remind herself to stay calm and smile back without looking dazed like the rest of the girls.

"Do you realize that Joe Grey just looked at you?!" one girl shouted in her ear to be heard over the music.

"Yes!" Christina shouted back. The girl looked at her as though she was crazy, acting so calm and indifferent when _the_ Joe Grey had looked at her. When the girl turned and edged away from her, Christina shrugged. Oh well!

By the time the concert ended, Christina and Elena were happy, yet exhausted. Elena's mother was going to be picking Elena up, so Christina waved goodbye to her friend, promising over and over again that she would tell her everything that would happen backstage, and that she would tell Nick hello for her. The bodyguard who was waiting to escort Christina backstage just shook his head as Elena finally tore herself away from Christina and left. Irony always her constant companion, Christina remembered a line from Hannah Montana, her own show that she secretly liked to watch. "What can I say?" she asked the bodyguard. "She's _my_ dork."

The bodyguard smiled and motioned for her to follow him. He led Christina backstage and left her standing there, all bravado completely depleted, not ten feet from the boys of Connect 3 and their family. She gulped, trying to find the courage within her that had been there a second ago, and took a hesitant step forward. Joe looked up from the small gathering and saw her, his face lighting up as he hurried over to her.

He stopped right in front of her, trying to decide what was the best way to greet her. "Hey," he finally said, but the word came out softly, carefully, as though he was happy to see her because he was fond of her.

Christina smiled back, Joe's greeting demolishing any of her old fears. "Hey," she whispered, smiling.

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Elena, a friend of Christina's. Hope you all liked it!**


	4. Winter's Kiss

Christina drummed her fingers on the top of her desk, wishing that the teacher would hurry up and end the class so that winter vacation could begin. Despite her resolve that she would not let the thought of Joe and spending more time with him run her life, Christina could barely wait for the bell to ring so that she could hop into her car and go meet the Grey family. She glared at the back of the professor, mad that he would pick today of all days to have a boring lecture. Or maybe the lecture was interesting, and it was just her anxiousness to be out of the classroom that was making this day so long.

"Yes, that's it," she said, ending the conversation between the left and right sides of her brain.

The professor turned around from where he was writing on the board. "Did you have a comment, Miss O'Foran?"

It was then that Christina realized that she had spoken aloud. She winced and her eyes darted toward the board where a detailed drawing of an earthworm was displayed. Quickly, she focused on one section of the earthworm and responded, "I couldn't remember what the crop of the earthworm was called." She smiled and gave a bashful shrug. "All I could remember was 'that thing next to the gizzard,' and that doesn't fit in the space on the lecture notes."

"Oh," said the professor, and he gave a small nod, turning back to the whiteboard. Just as he started speaking again, the bell rang, it's shrill peal reverberating throughout the school. Christina was the first one out of her seat, and she barely heard the assignments for the break before she was out the door, scrambling to find her car keys.

"Finally!" she breathed as she found her keys and unlocked her car. She slid in and jammed the key into the ignition, smiling as she heard the engine purr to life. She pulled out of the parking lot and turned right, following Joe's instructions as she merged onto the freeway. After a few minutes, she found the exit and quickly signaled so that she could get over.

She found the venue easily and pulled into the empty parking lot. She spotted the tour bus and quickly pulled up next to it. At the sound of the car, the door to the bus opened and Joe flew out, bounding through the snow and waving wildly at her. Laughing at his antics, Christina pulled herself together and climbed out of the car. Almost immediately, Joe enveloped her in a huge hug, pulling her close and resting his cheek on her hair.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back, snuggling into his chest.

"Would you believe me if I said I've missed you?" Joe asked.

Christina leaned back and looked up at him. "Considering the fact that we talked this morning, at lunch, and when I was on my break, no I don't believe you." Her eyes softened and she smiled. "But seeing your expression at seeing me makes me believe you, yes."

Joe bent his head and Christina tilted hers up, anticipating their first kiss. She shivered, but it had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Christina!" someone called.

Christina jerked away from Joe, only to find Kevin Grey waving wildly from the tour bus. She smiled and waved back. "Hey Kevin!" she called.

Joe groaned. "That's brothers for you," he muttered, giving her a squeeze and moving to grab her suitcase out of the car. "Always interrupting the most important moments."

Christina smiled and tilted her head up to look at Joe. "But the moment will come again, right?"

Joe looked down at her and smiled. "Oh, most definitely," he assured her. "I've worked hard enough for it."

Christina smiled and linked her arm through Joe's empty one. "You certainly have," she said with a nod.

"Come on," Joe told her, speeding up his pace. "Kintra arrived a little early, so she's already here. I can't wait for you to meet her."

Christina bit her lip. "What if she doesn't like me?" she asked worriedly.

Joe smiled and shook his head. "No fear of that. Kintra likes everyone. Otherwise, she wouldn't want anything to do with Nick." He chuckled at his own little joke, but grew serious rather quickly.

"How is Nick?" Christina asked. She thought back to when she had first met Joe's brother and his awful girlfriend. She'd been so relieved to find out that the girl had not been Kintra.

"He's doing better. I have a feeling he's finally made up his mind," Joe confided.

"Really?" Christina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup," Joe nodded. "He asked to speak to Kintra alone at some point during her stay." He squeezed Christina's arm. "I hope he's going to tell her that he's in love with her. It makes me sick to watch _that girl_ try and be polite and sweet." He grinned his signature smirk. "I think Nick's getting sick of it as well."

Christina dropped Joe's arm so that he could open the tour bus door. "We can only hope," she responded as she stepped inside.

Inside the tour bus, Mr. And Mrs. Grey sat talking with a pretty girl with reddish hair. The girl raised her hands and began to move them rapidly, and Christina realized that this was Kintra. The girl's kind, open face had an appealing look to it, and Christina knew at once that she would be a good friend.

Mrs. Grey was the first person to see the two teens walk in. She jumped up and raced to Christina, hugging her tightly. "Hi Christina," she chirped. "I'm so happy to see you again!" She hugged Christina again and turned to Kintra, who was watching the exchange curiously. "Kinny, this is Christina. Christina, this is Kintra Philips. I'm sure Joe's told you about her."

Christina nodded and smiled at the girl, who smiled back. "Nice to meet you," Christina said politely. "Honestly, Joe's told me so much about you that I feel like I've grown up with you!"

Kintra smiled and opened her mouth as though laughing, but no sound came out. She raised her hands and fluttered them delicately. Mrs. Grey placed a hand on Christina's shoulder and said, "She said that she feels the same way about you. She says that Joe hasn't stopped telling her about you since she got here."

Christina blushed and so did Joe. "Kinny," he whined. "You're not supposed to tell her all of my secrets!"

Kintra flipped her hair over her shoulder and started signing again. Nick chuckled when she finished, and Christina turned to him for an explanation. "She said that it's her job to tell you everything about Joe so that you have a chance to get away before you get in too deep."

Christina chuckled. "Thank you," she said to Kintra. "Any blackmail information would be awesome." The other girl smiled, and Christina felt comfortable.

That night, the Grey parents took Frankie and Kevin out to see a movie, leaving Joe in charge of everyone else, despite Kintra's teasing query of whether that was a good idea or not. "Brat," Joe said, tugging on Kintra's ponytail.

Kintra simply responded by smiling and signing, _"That's what little sisters are for."_

Kintra stepped outside, and Nick soon followed, thinking that he could sneak past Joe and Christina, who were curled up on the couch. Joe, however, was not fooled. "There he goes!" he whispered in Christina's ear excitedly. "He's gonna talk to her!"

Christina smiled, squeezing his arm to show that she was paying attention. "Maybe he'll actually tell her that he's been in love with her all this time!" she whispered back. Suddenly, she sat up, looking confused.

Joe sat up as well. "What's wrong?" he asked curiously.

Christina turned to look at him. "Your excitement's really infectious," she said with a grin.

He smiled and pulled her back down, snuggling her into the crook of his arm. "And you like it, don't you?" he asked teasingly.

"Yup," Christina responded glancing over at him. "It makes me feel happy too." She smirked at him. "You know…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"We never got another moment," she said, smiling shyly at him.

Joe turned to face her more fully and drew her closer. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked. "After all, it took me a while to work for you. You had time to find someone else." The smile on his face proved that he was teasing.

"True," Christina said, moving closer on her own. "But no one caught my eye like you."

Joe smiled and moved to close the gap between their lips when suddenly, he stopped. "This isn't just because of who I am, is it?" he asked.

Christina looked up at his face, completely open for the first time, and she saw the hesitancy, and the fear of rejection that plagued him. She lifted one hand and placed it on his cheek. "Yes," she said. "It _is_ because of who you are. I've fallen in love with your smile, your cuteness, and your character." She grinned. "I think I've even fallen in love with your hair." Her eyes widened. "Did I just say that out loud?"

Joe laughed, pulling Christina closer. "Yes, and I love you for it." He closed the gap between them and their lips touched for the first time. Christina responded as he deepened the kiss, and smiled against his lips.

The door opened and Kintra and Nick walked in. Christina tried to pull away, but Joe kept her right where she was, his lips firmly covering hers. She saw Nick nudge Kintra and then he said, "Joe, I'm thinking about taking Kintra to my bunk and do unmentionable things to her." Kintra swatted his arm, and Christina heard him whispering, "Relax. I would never do that to you."

But Joe was too far gone to care. He had tucked his head under Christina's neck and was breathing in and out, his nose pressed against her hair. "Sure," he murmured absently in answer to Nick's statement. "Whatever you'd like."

Christina, Nick, and Kintra all burst out laughing, two vocal laughs and one silent one. Nick shook his head when Joe looked up curiously, trying to figure out why everyone was laughing. "Come on, Kinny," Nick said. "I want to show you something on my laptop."

They left the room and Christina snuggled up once more with Joe, still shaking with laughter. "I don't get it," Joe said, looking at her. "What was so funny?"

Christina shook her head. "Nothing," she replied and with a smile, closed the gap between their lips once more.


	5. Leaving Woes

Unfortunately, winter break came to an end far too quickly for anyone's liking. Christina felt as though she never had enough time to do all the things she wanted to do, but was extraordinarily happy for Kintra and Nick, who had started dating during the latter part of the break. Kintra, who had been attempting to teach Christina some sign language, had very slowly signed her news, and, to Christina's embarrassment for a couple of hours, she had jumped on Kintra in her excitement, laughing and squeezing the poor girl practically to death. Thankfully, Kintra had a large heart and simply laughed along with Christina, hugging her back.

Now, with only four more days left before Christina had to return to her life at school, she was out walking around a snow-covered park close to the latest venue that the boys were supposed to be performing at tonight. She breathed in the cold, crisp air and smiled as she watched her own breath appear in front of her before it was whisked away into the cold afternoon air.

"May I join you?" asked a voice behind her.

Christina whirled around, only to find Joe standing there, bundled up just like her. "Hey," she said softly, their way of greeting each other.

"Hey," he said back. He came to stand next to her and gave her arm a squeeze.

"How'd you get away from Nick?" she asked curiously, knowing that a long recording session had been taking place this afternoon.

Joe shrugged. "Nick knows now what it means to be in love. In his case, he almost lost Kinny."

"She was that sick?" Christina asked worriedly.

Joe nodded. "She thought she might die, but the doctors were able to give her more extensive treatments. She'd finished them before she came to Colorado." He grinned. "Anyways, pushing Nick's buttons is one way to make him let you leave."

"You didn't!" Christina cried, knowing the talent Joe possessed for annoying people to death when he wanted to.

The mirth left his eyes and he shook his head. "No," he said seriously. "All I did was mention the fact that I only had four days with you."

The light-hearted atmosphere dimmed almost immediately, and Joe fell in step with Christina as they walked around the park. How many times they made the same lap around the snowy park, Joe would never know. He soon lost count, for he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going. All his attention was focused on the young woman beside him. Finally, he broke the silence by clearing his throat and remarking, "You seem actually saddened to be leaving."

Christina turned and looked at him squarely. "How could I be anything else?" she asked. Realization dawned on her and she gave him an exasperated look. "Honestly! Do you really think after all this time that I don't really care about you?"

Joe shook his head. "No," he replied. "I know that you do, I just can't quite believe that I'm so fortunate that you do."

Christina looked up at him, surprised by the look of absolute seriousness that was on his face. Rarely did she ever see this side of Joe. "I assure you that I'm more amazed that you love me than the fact that I love you."

"Why?" Joe asked curiously.

"Because nothing like this ever happens to me," Christina blurted out. "I live in Dublin."

Joe snorted. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Christina blushed. "Nothing really," she admitted. "I'm not saying that Dublin isn't an interesting place, I'm just saying that no one would've expected this-"

"From someone living in Dublin," Joe finished for her.

She smiled. "From someone living in Dublin," she agreed.

A park bench was conveniently nearby, so Joe pulled Christina down onto it next to him and she immediately snuggled into her favorite spot at his side. His arm went around her almost protectively, and she smiled. It felt so wonderful to be loved. A thought flittered through her mind, and her smile faded. "Will you forget me when I leave?" she asked. She looked up at Joe's face. "Be honest."

Joe looked down at the girl in his arms and saw that she was not teasing. Her earnest question was asked out of desperation, and was not the actual question she was asking. She was actually asking, "Will I need to steel my heart for when you no longer love me?"

He tilted her chin up and leaned down so that their foreheads touched. "I will never forget you," he said earnestly. "Do you want to know why?" Christina was too last for words, so she just shook her head. "I will never forget you because I'll never be away from you long enough to forget you."

Christina tried to pull away. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Joe," she warned him.

He shook his head, tightening his hold on her so that she could not get away. "I'm promising you _because_ I intend to keep it," he informed her. "I want to be near you. When I'm away from you, most of the time, I'm thinking about going and finding you so that I can be with you once more."

"Most of the time?" Christina asked mischievously.

Joe shrugged. "I wanted to be honest," he told her. "The rest of the time, I'm thinking about food."

Christina smacked his arm, yet laughed along with him, and the laughter dissolved any foreboding thoughts for the moment. She snuggled into Joe's shoulder and closed her eyes, never wanting this peaceful moment to end, yet knowing at the same time that it must, and far too soon for her liking.

"We should be getting back," Joe told her regretfully. "Everyone's waiting for us so that we can go out to dinner together before everyone starts leaving."

Christina nodded and stood up. "Right," she said, trying to hold back the sniffles she felt starting to come.

Joe pulled her close and kissed her gently yet firmly, and if Christina had ever doubted his love, she doubted no longer. His actions spoke volumes more than his words ever could. When he finally pulled away, Christina leaned into his chest and whispered, "Tá mé chomh mór sin I ngrá leat."

Joe pushed her slightly away so that he could look down at her. "What did you say?" he asked.

Christina looked up with a small smile. "It's Irish for 'I love you so much.'"

He pulled her close again and leaned down for another kiss. Just as their lips touched, Joe whispered, "I love you too, so very, very much."

**A/N: Did you like it? Let me know!**


	6. Letters From Around the World

**Okay guys, here you go! My hard drive, the one with ALL my stories on it, died, so I had to wait until I got a new one to start typing again. Hope you enjoy it!**

Christina hurried home from the bus stop, dropping her dance bag on the sidewalk as she jumped toward the mailbox, yanking the flap open to grab the letters inside. She flipped through them, paying no attention to all the bills addressed to her parents. She almost missed it, but the familiar scrawl of the small letter caught her eye and she absentmindedly returned the rest of the letters to the mailbox. Christina eagerly opened the letter, postmarked from Egypt. Her hands seemed clumsy as they pulled apart the envelope to reach the letter within. The demolished envelope fluttered to the ground, forgotten as the familiar scrawl of her boyfriend met her gaze.

_My dearest Christina,_ it read, _Egypt is hot! I'm burnin' up! (pun intended) I miss you so much and I wish that I could be with you instead of running from pyramid to pyramid, trying to keep cool._ Christina smiled at his joke and continued reading. _We have almost completed our world tour, and we'll be back in the States soon. I can't believe it's lasted for three years! I'd like to stop by Dublin first and visit you. I thought about bringing you a camel as a souvenir, but Kevin cautioned against it since you don't have a very big backyard. Then, I wanted to bring you back one of the mummy brains in a jar, but Nick reminded me that I wanted to keep you as my girlfriend, so I got you a keychain. (Very excited, I know, but all my other options fell through.)_

_Anyways, I hope all is going well. I miss you so much! I wish you were just a little tinier so that you could fit in my suitcase. See you soon._

_I love you,_

_Joe_

Christina smiled again, holding the letter close to her heart as she walked into the house, the rest of the mail completely forgotten. Letting herself into the house with her key, Christina mounted the stairs to her room and hurried to her bed. She knelt down and reached under the bed to pull out the shoebox where she kept all of Joe's letters, being the romantic she was. Placing the new letter lovingly into the box, Christina sat back on her heels and sighed. It was hard to date a guy who was gone for months, but there was no other person that she'd rather be dating. He was well worth the wait.

Christina pushed the shoebox back under her bed, returning it to the position it had formerly been in, and had just stood up when the doorbell rang shrilly. Being home alone, Christina ran downstairs and yanked the door open. When she saw who it was standing there, her jaw dropped and she let out a shrill scream that sounded oddly like Joe's name. Without thinking, she launched herself into his outstretched arms, squeezing him tightly. "Oh my gosh!" she cried for the fourth time. "What are you doing here?" She blushed, realizing what she'd just said. "Not that I mind, or anything."

Joe grinned, too happy to see her to tease her. Without answering, he grabbed the back of Christina's neck tenderly and kissed her, pulling her body close to his with his other hand. They stood like that for a long time before Joe finally released her. "Your keychain," he said huskily, handing the trinket to her. "Just like I promised."

Christina was still catching her breath when someone asked, "Is it over yet? All the lovey dovey stuff?"

Christina turned to see both Kevin and Nick sticking their heads out from around the corner of her house. Her grin grew wider as she saw them. "Yes, for now," she responded gravely.

The boys rolled their eyes and hurried to embrace Christina as well. After a few rounds of hugs, Christina remembered her manners and invited them inside, practically jumping around with excitement. "You said that you'd see me soon," she said. "I just got your letter today. Was that a hint or something?"

Joe shook his head. "Check the postmark on that letter," he said, "if you still have it. I mailed it two weeks ago."

"Of course I have it!" Christina responded without thinking. "I kept all your letters."

Joe leaned back in his chair, raising one eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "In a shoebox?"

Christina nodded, her cheeks turning pink. "Where else do you keep letters?"

"In envelopes," Nick muttered under his breath.

Christina turned to him and fixed him with a haughty gaze. "Alright, smart one," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "Tell my where you keep all Kintra's letters, because I know that she sends you tons."

Nick bowed his head in embarrassment, so Joe answered for him. "He keeps them under his pillow, right where he can read them at night when he thinks no one's looking."

Nick threw a pillow from the couch at his brother, hitting his brother squarely in the face. "Shut up," he commanded.

Joe stuck his tongue out. Christina broke up the argument and asked, "Are you guys hungry?"

"Starved," Joe replied exaggeratedly. "There's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for a hamburger right now." Though, when he saw the mischievous look on Christina's face, he quickly amended, "It's a figure of speech, Christy. I didn't mean it literally."

"Darn it," Christina said, snapping her fingers mock disappointedly. "Come on. I know a great place." She led the way out of the house and they hopped into the boys' car, heading to the diner where Joe and Christina had had their first "date." For over two hours, the group talked about their lives since they had last seen each other, steering away from any associations with the world tour and instead focused on the smaller, more meaningful aspects of their lives.

"Have you decided what you're going to do since you've now finished college?" Joe asked, stealing one of Kevin's french fries when the latter boy wasn't looking.

Christina nodded. "I'd like to have my own studio and teach dance." She smiled, looking wistful. "I can picture myself teaching all those little kids, and watching them get the steps all wrong anyways." Her eyes focused back on the boys sitting in front of her and she blushed. "Sorry. I was off in la la land."

"No problem," Joe said, looking at her thoughtfully. "Where would you like to have this studio?"

Christina, not really paying attention, answered, "Probably the States, since I won't teach Irish dance. I want to teach hip hop and stuff like that."

Joe nodded and lapsed into silence. To cover for his brother, Nick began chatting at his fast paced speed, telling Christina all about the tour. She never saw Joe slip his hand in his packet, fingering the small box there.


	7. Business Proposals

When someone randomly pops in and you're not expecting them, you have the right to jump around and scream your lungs out because you're happy to see them, right? And when that same person tells you that he's going back to the States, and he's bringing you with him, just because he has the money for the plane ticket and also because he likes your company, you have the right to be slightly baffled, but to go along with his ideas, right? Now, when that same person drops you off at a cute little house approximately fifty steps from the beach in California where one of your best friends is staying, you have a right to be mystified, but not complain too much because you're too busy hugging and squeezing the life out of your friend, right?

Christina was thinking through all those chains of logic as she sat, curled up on the window seat, staring out at the ocean. She had left her hair unbound, and the dying sunlight made her blond tresses seem to shimmer as she listened to the calming call of the waves. Being here, in this little house, with Kintra was all well and good, and the past couple of days had been borderline perfect, but Christina was still at a loss as to why Joe would bring her to California in the first place. She shook her head, clearing the organ of any pressing thoughts and simply focused on the way that the sun was illuminating the ocean as it made its sinking trip below the horizon.

Christina was so absorbed in the wonders of nature that she never heard Joe slip in through the front door. He waved to Kintra, who smiled knowingly and signed where Christina was located. He found her still curled up against the window, and the sight made him catch his breath. This girl, now twenty-two, was the sole reason for his existence. She had challenged him and made him work for her, and she had brought him out of the shallow state of stardom that he had found himself sinking into. He smiled and leaned against the doorframe, her eyes taking in every inch of the innocent picture she was unwittingly painting for him.

The doorframe was old, and therefore groaned against the weight of Joe's shoulder. Christina turned at the sound, her eyes lighting up when she saw who it was. A huge grin stretched across her face and any hesitancy Joe had felt about what he was going to do vanished in that instant, replaced by a confidence that swelled through his whole being. "Hey," Christina said softly.

The familiar greeting made Joe smile and he responded, "Hey." He crossed the room in long strides and stood next to his girlfriend, looking out at the same ocean she had just been admiring. "Why don't we take a walk?"

Christina smiled. "I'd like that," she said, uncurling herself and sliding off the window seat. Joe grabbed her sweater off of the chair she had hung it on and handed it to her.

They left the room and waved to Kintra, signing that they would be back. Kintra winked at Joe and signed, _"Take your time. Make it good."_ Joe smiled at the girl nodded, opening the door for a mystified Christina.

The couple took their time walking down the path to the beach, their fingers entwined and swinging between their bodies. "Where've you been?" Christina asked, breaking the silence between them.

"We had a couple of shows to do up near San Francisco, but we're now free for a while." Joe gazed at Christina as they walked, their feet just beginning to touch the sand. "What've you and Kinny been doing?"

Christina smiled up at him. "Oh, you know," she said vaguely. "Doing our nails, going shopping, talking about boys…" she trailed off and smiled up at him. "The list goes on."

Joe jumped in front of her, taking her face between his hands. "Are you Christina?" he asked worriedly. "Are you feeling okay? I mean really, shopping?"

Christina giggled and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine, and I was just kidding. Can you really see Kinny shopping?" She laughed. "That girl detests anything to do with malls and clothes."

The two adults continued on their walk, this time walking a little closer to each other. The breeze whipped up Christina's unbound hair and she pushed it back, leaning her head on Joe's shoulder. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

Joe followed her gaze to the sun, which was suspended just above the horizon, tingeing the air with brilliant oranges and pinks. "Yes," he said, "and no."

Christina glanced up at him, confused. "What do you mean, 'no'?" she asked.

Joe smiled, using his hand to rub her arm. "I see something more beautiful right in front of me."

Christina blushed and said nothing. They had made it down to the water and Joe suddenly stopped. "Here we are," he said, and Christina finally looked up.

There, before her was a picnic blanket spread out over the sand with a picnic basket and a bottle of apple cider sitting on top of it. Her smile grew and she turned to look at the young man standing behind her, waiting for her approval. "It's wonderful," she breathed out.

Joe smiled. "I'm glad you like it," he said, seating himself cross-legged on the blanket. "I hope you haven't eaten," he added, knowing full well that she hadn't. It had been one of his strict instructions that Kintra was not allowed to let Christina eat dinner that day.

Christina took a seat across from him, shaking her head. "Now I know why Kinny wouldn't let me eat," she said as the realization began to dawn on her. She chuckled. "She wouldn't even let me have an apple." She looked at all the food Joe was pulling out of the basket and smiled. "She told me that apples weren't good for my girlish figure."

Joe snorted and pulled out a container of apples smothered in peanut butter, a favorite delicacy of both of them. "Maybe that will make it feel better," he said with a grin, and Christina nodded, playing along.

"Probably," she muttered, watching as Joe fixed her sandwich and gave her a generous helping of her favorite chips.

"I even have your favorite chocolate chip cookies for dessert," he said proudly pulling out a container.

Christina licked her lips and smiled at Joe. "You know," she said mock seriously. "This is doing absolutely nothing for my girlish figure."

The corners of Joe's mouth twitched as he looked his girlfriend up and down. "Trust me," he said seriously, handing her the container of cookies. "Your girlish figure is perfect."

They ate in comfortable silence, just smiling at one another and watching the sun set. As the sun kissed the horizon and Christina pulled her second cookie out from the container, she glared at Joe. "Are you doing this because you want something?" she teased.

Joe smiled at her crookedly, finding her question ironic since she didn't realize how close to the truth she really was. "In a manner of speaking, yes," he said with a nod.

Christina snapped her fingers. "I knew I shouldn't have accepted the cookies!" She smiled at Joe and asked, "Alright, I'm being serious now. What did you want from me?"

Joe leaned back on his elbows and replied, "An honest answer."

"Okay," Christina said, drawing the word out uncertainly.

"Remember when you told me last week that you wanted to come to the States and start a dance studio?" he asked.

Christina nodded. "Yes, but I was just daydreaming."

Joe cocked his head to the side. "So that's not what you want to do with your life?"

"No," Christina hastily amended. "I do. What does this have to do with an honest answer?"

"Because," Joe said, sitting up, "I know of a small little place that's begging to become a dance studio right here in L.A., and I'd like for you to take it."

Christina's eyes widened. "Seriously?" she asked, unable to contain her excitement.

"Seriously," he responded.

A wide grin broke out on Christina's face. "This is awesome!" she cried. "My dreams are coming true!" She paused for a moment and then asked, "But how much does this place cost? Are we talking owning it or leasing it?"

"Owning it," Joe replied, "and as to price, let's just say that I have a fair proposal."

Christina raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?" she asked, intrigued. "By all means, make your demands."

Joe ignored her teasing and his hand slipped into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper and held it up so that she could see it. "I will give you this deed to the property," he said, "if you will consent to wearing this forever." He handed her a small box.

Christina took the box, afraid to get her hopes up, yet those same hopes refused to be pushed down. She pushed back the lid and her face lit up. Inside was a delicate ring made of gold and inset with one diamond which sparkled brightly in the fading light. She took it out and handed it to Joe, indicating that she wanted him to slide it onto her finger. "Forever and always," she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him.

**A/N: Aww! This chapter was so much fun to write! Only one more chapter before this story comes to an end! Let me know what you think!**


	8. Epilogue

**A/N: This is the last chapter! I'm sad to see this story end, but I can't keep you in suspense forever! Enjoy, and I hoped you liked it!**

"Open mine first!"

"No! She's gonna open mine first!"

"No! Me first!"

The clamor of the children gathered around Kintra made Christina smile. Her friend looked so comfortable in the middle of all the rowdy children, eager for their aunt to open their present first. Christina watched as Nick, her brother-in-law, settled the kids and let her own daughter, Christy, go first. Christina leaned back against her husband and smiled as she watched her shy daughter hand her aunt the present she had labored over for so long.

"It's not very good," Christy whispered, blushing as her aunt took the package.

"_I'm sure it's wonderful, Christy,"_ Kintra signed, weighing the package in her hands. The little girl ducked her head, but nodded to show her aunt that she had understood her sign. All the children had been taught sign language so that they could easily communicate with their aunt, and the youngest ones viewed the extra language as quite a novelty.

Kintra finished unwrapping the package and Christina was forced to bite back a giggle as she noted the look of utter confusion of her sister-in-law's face. When Kintra looked up, her eyes asking Christina what the mass of neon purple material was supposed to be, Christina raised her hands and made a motion that looked like a scarf. Understanding, Kintra wound the "scarf" around her neck, heartily thanking Christy for her gift.

The gift exchange went on, each child giving their aunt their present, sitting back on their heels eagerly to watch her exclaim in her own, silent fashion over each and every one. Christina smiled as she watched Christy, Nathaniel, and Joey play around with the paper, Nathaniel trying to wrap his little brother up in it. Christina put a stop to that and slipped into the kitchen to check on the Christmas dinner she was in charge of preparing.

How she was, every year, roped into preparing the meal, Christina would never understand. Yes, she was the only one who had a holiday cookbook, but that didn't mean that she could actually _cook_ what was in the cookbook. However, every year, she would make the dinner, and, miraculously, every year, it came out just fine. This year, she would need a little help from the true cooker in the family, Kintra. She stepped back into the living room, her eyes instantly finding her husband, only to find that he was already looking at her. Joe winked, and she smiled back.

She found Kintra and Nick standing together, his chin resting on the top of her head. Christina smiled at the bond they shared. They were, by far, the quietest in the large family, yet their bond went deeper than that. They shared something in the music they made together that kept them close to each other. Christina watched for a moment as Kintra's eyes took in all of the children playing, smiling as her own little boy, Bradley, played with his cousins. Her eyes seemed to sparkle just by watching everyone else's fun, and Christina hated to ruin the special moment, but she _really_ needed help with the meal preparations.

"Kinny?" Christina called softly, knowing that her friend would hear her.

Kintra shook her head slightly, as though coming out of a daze, and turned to look at her friend. _"Yes?"_ she signed.

"Could you help me for a moment in the kitchen?" Christina rolled her eyes. "You know how much I love to cook." Kintra appeared to be silently laughing as she placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes shining. Dutifully, she followed her friend into the kitchen, helping where she could until the dinner was ready.

The whole atmosphere of Christmas dinner was one of controlled chaos. With Kevin and his wife, and their kids, Christina and Joe with their kids, and Kintra and Nick with Bradley, the table was barely able to fit them all, and the kids were so excited that they had to be practically strapped into their seats to eat a bite. But, there was no other way anyone would have it, for the chaos was punctuated with laughter and jokes, and the occasional spilled beverage.

Afterward, Christina and Kintra stayed behind to clean up in the kitchen while everyone else went outside to play in the snow. Christina had just put one of the bowls in its correct spot when she saw Nick sneaking in, his hands behind his back. Christina smiled and said, "I think I'll step outside for a while and make sure everyone's doing alright."

She slipped out, giving the couple a chance, no doubt, to exchange their gifts privately. She slipped her coat on and stepped out into the snow, only to get involved almost immediately in a huge snowball war with the rest of her family. She doused her children in snow, shoved snow down Joe's back and got tackled gently in return, squealing as he pushed a fair amount of snow down her clothes.

Finally, wet, once again hungry, and exhausted, the kids trooped inside to collect their presents, getting ready for the return trip home. Christina thanked everyone, gave Kevin's wife, Stephanie, and Kintra big hugs and hugged each of the boys as well. She and Joe rounded up their children, worn out yet still protesting that they wanted to spend more time with their cousins. Christina made a face at Kintra and said, "You'd think they never see each other by the way they act." Kintra smiled and waved as the family piled into the car and left.

The kids were asleep before they even reached the house, which was only over two blocks from Kintra and Nick's house. Joe and Christina exchanged smiles from the front seat as they looked at their sleeping children. Once home, Christina carried Joey and Nathaniel up to their rooms while Joe hoisted Christy gently up over his shoulder. Once the children had been tucked into bed, Christina slipped downstairs to wash up the dishes from that morning's breakfast. She turned on the iPod stereo overhead and began to hum along to the music.

An arm slipped around her waist, and Joe moved her hair aside to kiss the side of her neck. "Hey," he said.

Christina smiled, happy that after six years, that traditional greeting of theirs had not vanished. "Hey," she responded. Unconsciously, her body had started to sway along with his to the music, and he pulled her hands out of the water, pulling the gloves off of them and taking her by the hand to waltz her around the room. Christina laughed lightly, nestling her head against Joe's shoulder, her favorite spot to be. She thought, as they swayed around the room, that she could not have asked for a better life. With her studio up and prospering, she was happy with what she was doing. She had three children whom she adored, and she had a husband that she was head over heels _still_ in love with, a rarity these days. True, there had been some rough patches, as there would be throughout life, but Christina was content right where she was: in the arms of a man who loved her.

Joe seemed to sense what she was thinking, as he always did. "I love you," he whispered. He twirled Christina and dipped her low to the ground, bringing his face very close to hers. Just as he was about to kiss her, he whispered the words that had started it all, "Rice moves, my darling."

**~The End~**


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